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Partnering with Cartoon Network is the organization that knows toy lines like the back of their hand, Bandai America Incorporated. Hoping to generate even more buzz for its action animation, which is already on a weekday strip, Cartoon Network is debuting the Ben 10 toys this month for all to see.
Ben 10 is about a ten-year-old boy whose luck suddenly turns around when he gets attached to an alien wristwatch, literally. A piece of intergalactic technology that holds immeasurable potential, Ben uses the watch to transform into more than ten different alien creatures, each with their own awesome, dangerous, and sometimes strange abilities. Granted, at age ten, Ben isn't the most levelheaded of superheroes… but with the aid of his grandfather Max and his cousin Gwen, Ben Tennyson fights off the forces of evil and has a ton of fun doing it.
"Ben 10 has been a ratings powerhouse for the network since its debut," Christina Miller, vp, U.S. consumer products for CN Enterprises commented. "We are looking forward to the excitement and enthusiasm this innovative toy line will bring to fans of the show. We also expect many new viewers will be inspired to tune in after seeing the toys, which capture the unique play potential of Ben 10."
"Ben 10 is one of the most unique toy lines ever created by Bandai America," Michael Riley, vp, marketing, Bandai America Inc stated. "Not only are we leveraging our past successes in the boys' action figure aisle, we're taking traditional product categories and adding lots of new and interesting play patterns to make this dynamic lineup unlike anything out there today."
Key products include the following:
Alien Collection: Collectible 4" figures of all the 10 aliens that Ben can initially transform into, including Heatblast, Greymatter, Fourarms and Stinkfly. Each comes with a collectible lenticular card that depicts Ben transforming into one of the aliens, as well as an exclusive animation disk of 8 cels from the show that can be used with the Alien Laboratory playset.
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DNA Alien Heroes: 6" figures with cool action features, including oozing or glow-in-the-dark DNA slime that appears on the character's body.
Metamorfigures: 8" figures that transform from their alien forms into unique spy gear, including a working flashlight, water gun and binoculars (view image/transformed).
Transforming Alien Rocks: These particular items dissolve in water to reveal a translucent miniature 1" alien figure hidden inside.
Alien Ships: These unique toys are space vehicles inspired by the home planets of the aliens and feature unique water pumping action. (View image: Four Arms with Vehicle.)
Role-play: The Omnitrix Alien Viewer is where kids can insert the animation disks (from the 4" figures and deluxe playset) into the device's face to see Ben transform right before their eyes, and the Omnitrix F/X, which features red and green flashing lights and transformation sound effects from the show (View image: the Omnitrix Alien Viewer.)
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(View image #1: Grandpa Max's RV; left-click the image to the right for larger version.) (View image #2: Playset Open for Display.)
About Ben 10: Created by Man Of Action (Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, Steve Seagle), Ben 10 launched Jan 14th with twenty-six original episodes. The series is being produced at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, Calif. Ben 10 follows the adventures of 10-year-old Ben Tennyson, an unlikely hero who discovers a strange device resembling a wristwatch inside a crashed meteorite.
Once the watch, called the "Omnitrix," permanently locks itself on his wrist, Ben discovers that he can transform into 10 different and fantastic alien beings, each with unique powers and abilities—but while retaining his 10-year-old personality. As he learns to control these newfound powers, he decides to use them to right wrongs and fight evil. But sometimes he cannot resist using the Omnitrix to satisfy his own curiosities, landing him in some major kid-style trouble. Fortunately his grandfather Max and cousin Gwen are there to keep him in check and bail him out of trouble when he needs it. (Related Animation Insider Links: "Ben 10 Review," "Ben 10 at CN Upfront 2006")
About Bandai America Inc. A leader in introducing Japanese toy trends to the United States, Bandai America Incorporated is a subsidiary of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings (USA) Inc., a newly formed entity that resulted from the integration of Namco Ltd. and Bandai Co. Ltd. of Japan.
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Bandai America is the manufacturer and master toy licensee of some of the most popular brands in children's toys and entertainment today, including Power Rangers, Teen Titans, Firehouse Tales and Tamagotchi. The company is headquartered in Cypress, California and information is available at www.Bandai.com.